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heather.s
29 March 2012, 02:27 PM
So I have a friend who I explained that I was Hindu to.

She is TOTALLY respectful of my choices and views, but she finds it funny that when I say something like "oh man, i wish today would hurry up and be over" she says "Ask your cow to speed up time"

Yes, she is FULLY aware that Hindus do NOT just sit around and worship cows lol.

When I sneeze she says "Cow bless you".

Just something I thought was funny and a funny way of Western people trying to "jive" with Hinduism.

NayaSurya
29 March 2012, 03:55 PM
You are a good friend, had this been me...it would not have been so cute or funny.:p

Helping on a tiny dairy farm...i have honestly, not been much of a fan of cows. They are not smart creatures and can hit you with urine or poop from a far distance.

One night, while trying to feed corn to the calves, i was nearly trampled with my daughter in my arms. They were fed regularly...but almost always tried to trample each other to get there first.:rolleyes:

One time while trying to clear thistles, (as they hurt the poor cows) they nearly stampeded us...because they wanted to get to the greener field we had just cleared for them.

I had an enormous bull , red spotted named Opie who follow me EVERYWHERE. Like a lost puppy. It was weird...and...embarassing as the farmer was awestruck by his animal, who was normally very ill tempered...following a girl around as a pet.:p

Beloved is in cows, but the animal body fairly controls anything residing within...at least from my years of very close, intimate caring for some of them.

Not to say, you should not be kind to them, of course!

But, such a joke would not have been good to make around me.

Recently, something happened here...an odd cow occurance to make me change some of my thoughts.

Culturally, i know how important cows are to hungry folks. They make so much food...and i do understand.

But, they must also have some sort of secret key in all of this too.

As recently, (and i didn't tell anyone but my husband and even then it was several months later because it was SO strange) I saw a cow with the Om on it.

All black with a white OM. Then when i try to find this cow again...i couldn't. it was there as we drove back and forth in front of our local dairy farm. Over and over for hours it sat there. But, to this day...it is not on that farm! Now, i finally broke down and told my husband...and we begin to look together for the past few months. The other day, a fully black cow in the field...looked like it has a huge white shape of India on its side.

On this same farm!

So i dunno so much anymore.

....something tells me there's much more to it than this. I am wise enough to hold final judgment.

Using Cow instead of God in such a way never made me feel very Loved or understood. Almost making a joke of cultural beliefs.

I had someone say this exact phrase to me about 11 years ago and just recently...My son's girlfriend and her family say "blue man group worshippers" and "you worship the avatar aliens"

It was a good teaching moment to replace ignorance and rudeness with the true word, which is Shiva, or Vishnu or Krishna...for me.

It's nice you do not get angry, you must have more patience than most.

heather.s
29 March 2012, 07:00 PM
i explained it all to her and told that to 99% of Hindus that would be offensive. she apologized profusely.

i just understand that here in Missouri, Hinduism is seen as a novelty.

I guess I am more patient with people who don't understand, but are willing to educate themselves.

I knew she didn't mean anything malicious by it. She was just trying to make a joke about something she doesn't understand. I corrected her and we moved on.

wundermonk
30 March 2012, 06:05 AM
I guess I should take offense at heather's story and her friend mentioned in it but nah...the story is quite funny actually.

heather.s
30 March 2012, 08:08 AM
lol that's kinda how i felt too. the first time she said it, i was like "wow. don't say that in front of any other Hindu" haha...i'm pretty laid back about stuff like that and i know she doesn't mean it out of mocking me or disrespect.

it's actually morphed into our own private joke about her ignorance. /shrug

satay
30 March 2012, 09:17 AM
namaste,
just as a joke, I would tell her, "if you keep repeating cow like that you will be born as a cow next life." :)

heather.s
30 March 2012, 09:48 AM
HA! i love it!

i keep telling her when she's in a bad mood that if she doesn't find a good way out of this situation, her bad karma will make her come back as a dung beetle.

:p

Aum namah Śivāya
10 April 2012, 11:43 PM
नमस्ते Heather,

That is a funny story. :) I'm glad you can be so relaxed about your beliefs and people's misunderstanding of them. That's how I am, too.

Try being Hindu on a Catholic university campus. :eek: There are a few who are accepting, but most would try to have me kicked out if they knew of my path.

ॐ नमः शिवाय

JaiMaaDurga
11 April 2012, 04:51 AM
Namaste,

I enjoyed reading the story and the replies.
A mixture of curiosity and anxiety is often behind a clumsy or awkward
comment from others; an American friend of mine made a gently teasing
"sacred cow" comment once, and I replied:

"At least I am not the devotee of a clown!"

Puzzled, she said, "Clown? I don't even go to church!"

I said, "Oh yes, you do. You worship at the temple of the Golden Arches, at least twice a week, without fail.
"And, though we do not actually worship cows-
I would say someone who worships cows, but never eats them, is far more sane and intelligent,
than someone who eats cows, but never worships them!"

She said, "OK, I get the arches thing, very funny... and I know I'm going to regret asking, but- why the second thing you said?"

I said, "Because the first fellow will never, ever look at his meal, and think: 'Eating this might cause my brain to literally rot inside my skull.'!
"How many Hindus do you see with Mad Cow Disease? Almost could make a clown-devotee ponder more this whole 'karma' business, hmmm?":cool1:

She laughed and said "Yuck.. OK, OK! You win, remind me never to tease YOU again!"


...As long as "Bad Jow Disease" does not show up, I am safe, I think...:p

JAI MATA DI

Maya3
11 April 2012, 10:34 AM
But cows are so cute! Especially the Scottish Highland ones!

Maya